TransCanada is helping Ontario meet its clean energy goals by replacing retiring coal-fired power generation capacity through the development of a new, highly efficient power facility in Napanee that will generate hundreds of jobs and boost the local economy.

The proposed Napanee Generating Station will be part of the community for decades and will require highly trained power engineers to oversee its safe and reliable operation. And there’s no better place to find these future employees than right in the project’s backyard. That’s why TransCanada has joined Cambrian College in establishing the Power Engineering Scholarship Program, which will support the training of local residents for careers in the electricity industry.

The establishment of the three scholarships for Cambrian’s Power Engineering program ensures that students from the Napanee area will be able to learn a skilled trade at Ontario’s leading educator of power engineers and will help TransCanada meet its future workforce needs.

The partnership between TransCanada and Cambrian is the first of its kind. Scholarships will be available to residents of the Town of Greater Napanee, as well as residents of the Tyendinaga – Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte and Alderville First Nations.

TransCanada has committed to providing $60,000 towards these scholarships, which will cover a range of costs, including tuition, books and living expenses for the successful recipients. This initiative also includes qualifying experience opportunities with TransCanada at the Halton Hills Generating Station and Portlands Energy Centre.

Students will gain invaluable experience working with energy sector professionals on a daily basis, learning practical skills and gaining the necessary knowledge needed to help them achieve the careers in the power industry.

To be eligible, students must first apply to Cambrian College through the Ontario College Application System and be accepted into the Power Engineering program.

The first of the two-year scholarships will be awarded in May 2014, with students beginning their summer work at Halton Hills Generating Station or Portlands Energy Centre in the summer of 2015.

For further information about the award, including how to apply and application deadlines, please visit the Cambrian College website.

About Napanee Generating Station

The proposed Napanee Generating Station is a 900-megawatt (MW), combined cycle, natural gas-fuelled electricity generating station located in the Town of Greater Napanee, County of Lennox and Addington, in Ontario.

The Napanee Generating Station will be designed as a flexible system resource able to be started and stopped daily and to vary its output to bridge the gap between Ontario’s electricity demand and the other available generating resources.